Who Lives in Denali?

You may be curious who lives in Denali, and why. After all, it is quite remote and the seasons are harsh. There are many different reasons why individuals come to and from the Denali area. Below are the main places where and why people live here! 

Denali Canyon

The Denali Canyon is where many hotels, restaurants and businesses are in the area. It is also the closest area to the entrance of the park. You, likely, will stay in or near the canyon while here. Despite this no one lives in the canyon. They even shut power off to that area in the winter months as tourism almost completely stops. 

Towns Around Denali NP

There are two towns around Denali National Park. The first is Cantwell, located about 30 minutes south of the park entrance. Cantwell is home to around 120 individuals year-round and a handful more in the summer time with seasonal workers (that’s me!). The town is home to two restaurants, one gas station, a few lodges, a school and an RV park/campground. 

About 15 minutes north of the park entrance is Healy. Year-round, approximately 800 individuals call Healy home, and in the summer, almost 3,000 people with seasonal workers there for the summer. Healy has a school, grocery store, two gas stations, a couple of restaurants, coffee shop, golf course, bar, lodges and hotels. 

In between the park entrance and Cantwell there are a few houses and seasonal employee housing plots. This adds to the population of Denali Borough, which is roughly 1,600 year round. There are 12,000 square miles within the borough, which is about .13 people per mile!

Seasonal workers come from all over the world. Mostly the United States, but many foreigners work here as well. The seasonal workers easily double the population of the Denali locals in the area each summer. 

Summer VS Winter 

The population of the Denali Borough fluctuates significantly from Summer to Winter. The biggest reason for this is seasonal workers. Businesses in tourism shut down for the winter and their employees go elsewhere for the time being, while locals stay and endure the harsh winters. 

Would you ever live in Denali? There are many factors to that question, think about it while visiting!